Friday, April 20, 2012

Back around the first of the year, I decided (after just 13 years), that I was tired of the sun coming in the breakfast nook window late in the evenings. The window faces west and not only is the sun glaring in at times, but it's also HOT in the summertime! So I decided to make a version of the roman shades that I've seen floating around blogland. I had this idea for a while, but of course finding just the right fabric isn't always easy - especially where I live!

It wasn't long until I decided it wasn't practical because the way I had made it, it wasn't easy to let down and there were times that I just wanted it to go all the way down.

I had also been wanting to make some pillows for the bench and that also took forever to find the right fabric. Notice a pattern here.

So one day when I thought I would get started, I walked over to look at the bench and saw that it still needed painting from when I had painted the walls red and I hadn't been real neat with the red because I knew I needed to paint the bench. Yeah, that's my reason.

Of course, that also led me to paint the whole stinkin' window... but it looks so much better now. :) And in case anyone is wondering, I use those cheap tablecloths (in the bottom corner) to cover whatever with when I'm "creating" or actually doing anything that I might just make a mess with. I use them alot. :) You can get them pretty cheap at the end of a season.

I cleaned the inside of the windows when I painted (unfortunately, I still need to do the outside) with my new Fish Foam window cleaner that I won from Traci at Beneath My Heart during one of her giveaways.

This stuff is great. Look at it there! It's not running and making a mess everywhere. It actually sorta makes me want to clean my windows. ;)

So I found two coordinating fabrics and made a few pillows after I primed and primed and painted and painted and painted and then caulked and caulked some more.

Oh yeah, still no pictures in the HOME frame. Oops.

And here's a close-up of the curtain fabric. I decided to take the roman shade down and cut it in half and put it back up using hooks. I also took the extra fabric and made curtains for the side windows.

Just this past weekend I took down a "home" sign that I had had above the window for a while and put up the EAT. I spray painted the letters blue because that's the color of my countertops.

I still have ALOT to do in here.

We are going to change out the flooring, but probably not until fall. I also really, really want to build one of the farmhouse tables! I will either give this table to my son or use it downstairs in the new craft room I'm making.

The mason jars in the tray are from a wedding shower my daughter and I hosted last weekend. I'll show you pictures of that later.

I also have to do something about that light fixture. I bought these two items recently at TJ Maxx and was thinking about trying to make one of them into a kitchen table light. I'm not sure which one though. Does anyone want to share an opinion? :)

And if we aren't eating in the dining room, or more importantly in front of the television, this is where we chat-n-chew.

Friday, April 6, 2012

We're surrounded by ponds. We can't see the one in the back of the house though since the leaves are back on the trees.

This last view is, of course, not from my home. My daughter and I were bored one evening and decided to sight-see a little while we were in Fayetteville, AR. We drove to Lookout Point just to see the downtown area of Fayetteville. We knew when we got there that we were at the right place because of all the cars there. Most people had cameras and when the sun starting going down, they started snapping away. I took a few shots and then tried to get toward the back out of other people's way. When I turned around to look again, I had this view. It was by far my best and favorite picture and it was only taken with my phone.

Happy Easter! Enjoy the day with family and friends and bask in the glory of all the Lord has provided for us.

Monday, April 2, 2012

I know lots of you have talked about how you love spray paint, but I have never been that good at it. About the only thing I spray paint regularly are the two rocking chairs I keep on the front porch.

I bought an old, beat up magazine holder a few weeks ago for about two dollars. I thought it would be good to practice on since I have a tendency to practice on real things that don't always look as great as I'd hoped in the end. My plan was to just brush paint it, since that's what I usually do. However, I wanted it green and I didn't have a can of green paint and naturally when I decided I wanted it done, I wanted it done - Right. Now.

Also, I realized brush painting in between the slots wouldn't be near as easy as spray paint. And for a non-spray painter like me, I sure do have lots of cans of spray paint!

Anyway, here is the before. I have a cutesy little helper in the background. :)

And here is an after.

I distressed it and decided it needed something since it's kinda large. I used the side that had the flower design in the before picture since the edges were in a little better shape. I used the cricut to made a stencil and then used my watery ugly beige paint to write out 'magazines.' I then distressed over that hoping to blend it to look old. I think it would have been better if I had used the other side to put the word since there was a raised area from the flower, but I still like it. The guys like it too. Of course, they're guys. :) We'll see if my daughter likes it the next time she comes home. :)

Either it was sunny... or it was way too dark. :)

Not bad for a beginner (in this area). Of course, I think alot of things look good until I take a pic of them! :)

Sunday, April 1, 2012

I want to start this post by saying how great it was when I got a message from Erin over at DIY on the Cheap telling me that she featured my Baseball Subway Art! That was so exciting and such an honor! If ya'll haven't been over there and checked out her blog, she has lots of neat projects and I love her "Furniture Painting 101." Very detailed and basic and easy to understand! Go there right after you read this post! ;)

As for me, my exterior doors (and shutters) are in definite need of a new coat of paint. When we built the house, I went with a cranberry color, but now, I want more of a country red shade. I had planned to do that this summer, but a few weeks ago the whole inside of the deadbolt just came right out with my hubby's key! I - of course - wanted all new knobs. I know I could have painted the shiny brass to antique brass, but hey, if it's broken and I have to buy a deadbolt anyway, I might as well by the whole thing. ;)

Naturally I didn't want to put my new pretty hardware on the nasty looking door, so that meant go ahead and paint it now. See Ozzy out the storm door. He's waiting to see if I'll come out and throw a ball or a stick. :)

After I sanded it, I primed it.

Then I painted. And painted. And painted. Three coats of red. I wanted the door to have a little depth to it, so I then got the sandpaper and lightly went straight down the door. I then added black. I watered my paint down some and brushed it on and then wiped it off. I was hoping it would get in the little crevices left from the sandpaper. Here's the result.

And here's a close-up. I was going for a wood-door look. I don't know that I succeeded, but I like it anyway!

And here it is all decked out for spring and with the new hardware. I had thought seriously about making a spring wreath, but I had several other projects going and when I ran across this wreath in Kirkland's for $19.99 - I thought "that's the wreath for me!" :)

If anyone has ever tried anything similar, I would love to hear about it!!